Novelty toy

ABSTRACT

AN IMPROVED NOVELTY TOY IS PROVIDED BY HINGING TOGETHER IN A CIRCLE A GROUP OF PYRAMIDAL BLOCKS. THE BLOCKS ARE FORMED FIRST AS SEPARATE ELEMENTS AND VARIOUS MEANS MAY BE EMPLOYED FOR CONNECTING THEM TOGETHER IN SERIES AT MUTUALLY ADJACENT EDGES SUCH AS ELONGATED U-SHAPED PINS, ADHESIVE TAP, ETC., THEREBY PERMITTING THE DEVICE AS A WHOLE TO BE TWISTED ABOUT A CIRCULAR AXIS TO EXPOSE DIFFERENT GROUPS OF FACES OF THE BLOCKS TO THE VIEW OF A PERSON MANIPULATING THE DEVICE.

Oct. 12, 1971 w A, FOSTER EI'AL 3,611,617

NOVELTY TOY 5 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Sept. 20, 1968 INVENTORS WILLIAM A. FOSTER E. W. JAMES W; )f la/WLQA/ ATTORNEY 0d. 12, 1971 w. FQSTER ETAL NOVELTY TOY 5 Sheets-Sheet Filed Sept. 20, 1968 INVENTURS WIL LlAM A. FOSTER IF. W. M MES ATTORNEY 1971 w. A. FOSTER ETAL NOVELTY TOY 5 Sheets-Sheet Filed Sept. 20, 1968 I NVIZN'W 1R5 WILLIAM A FOSTER E. W. JAMES m m F ATTORNEY @ct. 12, 1971 w FOSTER ETAL NOVELTY TOY Filed Sept. 20, 1968 FIGw I9.-

5 SheetsSheet L INVENTORS WILLIA M A. FOSTER E.W. JAMES BY l ATTORNEY 0C1. 12, 1911 FOSTER m1 3,611,617

NOVELTY TOY 5 Sheets-Sheet 5 Filed Sept. 20, 1968 FIG. 24.

INVENTORS WILLIAM A. FOSTER E. W. JAMES ATTORNEY United States Paten 3,611,617 NOVELTY TOY William A. Foster and Edward W. James both Foster Industries, Inc., 13.0. Box 3545, Baltimore, Md.

lFiled Sept. 20, 1968, Ser. No. 761,136 Int. Cl. A63l1 33/00 U.S. Cl. 46-11 L 4 Claims ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE The toy may be provided as a knockdown kit having sheets of cardboard delineated with fold lines for forming the individual pyramidal blocks. The kit also contains means for holding the folded sides of the sheet in place and means for hinging the blocks together.

The toy may further be provided as a string of pyramidal blocks hingedly connected together in series by a shrink film enclosure with means for connecting the two ends of the series together.

This invention relates to novelty toys and it is more particularly concerned with improvements in a particular novelty toy comprising a circular linkage of pyramidal blocks described in U.S. Pat. No. 1,997,022.

The novelty toy described in the patent referred to comprises a unitary blank sheet having fold lines for shaping the article and tabs for holding the shaped article in final form. When formed in this way, the toy theoretically is capable of being twisted to expose to a person manipulating it, different faces of the article in four sets of six faces each. These faces may contain many different indicia, including numbers, designs, pictures and so forth.

One of the difficulties of a device made according to the said patent is the fact that the hinges are a part of the sheet material which, under constant use, causes weakening and breakage by fatigue.

Another difiiculty is the fact that the pyramids must, in order to function properly, have different degrees of angles and different lengths of edges. Otherwise the movement of the linkage becomes limited when the pyramids are twisted or else the outer edges will tend to separate. It is difficult to provide the required variable angles for such irregular pyramids in a device made of a single sheet of material.

An object of the present invention is the provision of a novelty toy of the type mentioned which is constructed differently and with a greater degree of accuracy.

Another object is the provision of such novelty toy which does not utilize as hinges any portion of the sheet material of which the pyramids are made.

A further object is the provision of a novelty toy of the type mentioned in which the pyramids are each formed as units independently of each other and then hinged together by any of several means.

A still further object is the provision of a kit containing elements from which such a novelty toy can be made so as to conserve shipping space.

These and still further objects, advantages and features of the invention will appear from the following description considered together with the accompanying drawings.

In the drawing:

FIG. 1 is a plan view of a kit of elements comprising an embodiment of the invention.

FIG. 2 is a perspective view of one of the scored parallelogram cardboard elements of FIG. 1.

FIG. 3 is a sectional view along the line 3-3 of FIG. 1.

FIG. 4 is a perspective view of the cardboard element of FIG. 3 in a partially folded position.

FIG. 5 is a view similar to FIG. 4 of the cardboard element in its fully folded pyramidal form with means for securing it in the pyramidal form.

FIG. 6 is a section along the line 6-6 of FIG. 5.

FIG. 7 is a perspective view of a block member comprising a modified embodiment of the invention.

FIG. 8 is a sectional view of a pyramidal element of the modified embodiment showing the postion therein of the block of FIG. 7.

FIG. 9 is a fragmentary sectional view along the line 99 of FIG. '8 on a larger scale.

FIG. 10 is a plan view of a cardboard sheet comprising another modified embodiment of the invention.

FIG. 11 is a perspective view of the sheet of FIG. 10 partially folded.

FIG. 12 is a fragmentary sectional view similar to FIG. 6 of the embodiment of FIGS. 10 and 11.

FIG. 13 is a perspective view of a completely assembled device according to the embodiments of FIGS. 1 to 6.

FIG. 14 is a top plan view of the device of FIG. 13 on a larger scale.

FIG. 15 is a front elevational view of the device of FIGS. 13 and 14 (from position A).

FIG. 16 is a corner elevational view of the device of FIGS. 13 and 14 (from position B).

FIG. 17 is a fragmentary view partly in section of a portion of the device along the line 17-17 of FIG. 15.

FIG. 18 is a fragmentary sectional view along the line 1818 of FIG. 17.

FIG. 19 is a plan view of still another embodiment of the invention before application of a shrink film.

FIG. 20 is a view similar to FIG. 19 with an envelope partly in section of a heat shrinkable film.

FIG. 21 is a view similar to FIG. 19 with the film in a shrunken condition.

FIG. 22 is a front elevational view of the embodiment of FIGS. 19, 20 and 21, partly broken away.

FIG. 23 is a sectional view along the line 23-23 of FIG. 21.

FIG. 24 is a plan view of a cardboard sheet according to a further embodiment of the invention.

FIG. 25 is a perspective view of the sheet of FIG. 24 partially folded.

FIG. 26 is a fragmentary view of the embodiment of FIG. 24, similar to FIG. 6.

Referring with more particularity to the drawing, the embodiment illustrated in FIGS. 1 to 6 is provided in the form of a kit shown in FIG. 1 and comprising six scored blank sheets of cardboard 25, fourteen U-shaped hinge pins 26, and sheets 27 of clear plastic adhesive strips 28.

Each sheet 25 is in the general shape of a parallelogram subdivided by fold lines 29, 30 and 31 into isosceles triangles 32, 33, 34 and 35. The endmost angles 36 and 37 of the triangles 32 and 35, respectively, are substantially 54. All remaining angles of the triangles are substantially 63, as shown. The reason for these specific angles will be explained more fully hereinafter.

Portions 40 of the cardboard blanks 25 at the apices of the triangles are cut out or recessed in the general shape of a half moon, the purpose of which will appear hereinafter.

Each cardboard sheet is folded along its fold lines 29, 30 and 31 as shown in FIG. 4 to form a pyramidal block 41 having exterior faces corresponding to the triangles 32,

3 33, 34 and 35. Each sheet is secured in this folded form by means of the adhesive strips 28 along the open edges. See FIG. 5.

An alternate means of securing the sheets in pyramidal form is illustrated in FIGS. 7 to 9. Such means comprises an exterior block 42 of solid or hollow plastic or of any other suitable material, the apices 43 (shown in phantom) of which are truncated. These blocks are deposited on the interior of the folded sheet and the sides of the sheet are secured to the sides of the block by any suitable mean such as by glue 44.

A further alternative means of securing the sheets in pyramidal form is illustrated in FIGS. to 12. Such means comprise bayonet or arrow type tab extensions 45 integral with the sheets which are adapted to engage slits 46 in flaps 47 as extensions of portions of the sheet.

The six thus completed pyramidal forms will have two shorter edges 29 and 31, the other four edges being longer. They are then assembled as shown in FIGS. 13 to 18 by hingedly connecting them together endlessly in a circle at their shorter edges 29 and 31. For this purpose, the U-shaped pins 26 are used by simply slipping them through adjacent apertures formed by the half moon cut-out portions 40.

To facilitate inserting the pins in this position, the inner side at the outer end of each arm is provided with a bevel 48 which, on contact with the edges of the cardboard, cams the arms of the pins outwardly and permits them to be easily slid into position.

To provide a firm grip between the pin and the cardboard, the inner surfaces 50 of the pin arms are knurled or roughened thereby increasing frictional contact.

In the assembled form of the device, a startling and interest absorbing effect is achieved by twisting the pyramid units in their hinged relation about a circular axis.

In order to achieve this eifect for full rotation of the pyramids and to maintain an edge to edge relation of the pyramids when the edges pass through the circular axis, it is necessary to observe the angular relations described above.

Variations from these angular relations will result either 1) in a space between the edges and therefore a discontinuity of the edges, or (2) a locking of the device which will prevent further rotation in a given direction. We have found these angles to be necessary in order to avoid these two undesirable conditions.

By maintaining such a continuous relationship of the faces, it is possible to provide continuous pictorial, design or other displays among the six faces which at any given time come into view of a person manipulating the device.

A still further embodiment of the invention is illustrated in FIGS. 19 to 23 whereby the pyramids 51 are hinged together in a series relation temporarily by means of adhesive tape strips 52, the outer ends 53 and 54 remaining free. See FIG. 19. The pyramids thus hinged together are then placed inside a heat shrinkable, open ended tube 55 of any conventional type. See FIG. 20. It is then subjected to heat which conventionally effects shrinkage of the envelope against all sides of the pyramids. .See FIG. 21. The outer free ends 53 and 54 are then hinged together by pins 26 as described above in relation to the previous embodiments.

The shrinkage of the film thus effects a hinged connection between the pyramids which functions even should the adhesive strips break, which they normally will do relatively soon after the device is put to use.

'The shrunken film also acts as a protective covering for the faces of the pyramids and of any display which they may carry.

The embodiment of FIGS. 24-26 differs from the previous embodiments in the means for securing the folded sheets together. Such means comprise hinged flaps 55 extending from three edges which register when folded with corresponding areas 56 of the other three edges. Adjacent surfaces of corresponding flaps and areas are coated with an adhesive material 57.

We claim:

1. A novelty toy comprising a series of individual pyramidal blocks and means hingedly connecting said blocks together endlessly, said hinging means being resilient elongated U-shaped pins.

2-. A novelty toy comprising a series of individual pyramidal blocks and means hingedly connecting said blocks together endlessly in which the blocks as a group are connected in hinged relation inside of a shrink film envelope.

3. A novelty toy as defined by claim 1 in which the U-shaped pins have their outer tips beveled on the inside.

4. A novelty toy as defined by claim 1 in which the inner adjacent faces of the U-shaped pins are knurled or otherwise roughened to increase frictional contact with walls of the blocks.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,292,188 1/1919 Wheeler 4624 1,997,022 4/ 1935 Stalker 461 2,112,474 3/1938 Warren 4621 3,201,894 8/1965 Resch 46-1 3,334,737 8/1967 Dreyfus 206 3,359,657 12/1967 Hedberg 4624 3,369,655 2/1968 Harrison 206-65 FOREIGN PATENTS 588,842 6/1947 Great Britain 46-1 849,411 11/1939 France 4626 LOUIS G. MANCENE, Primary Examiner D. L. WEINHOLD, 1a., Assistant Examiner U.S. Cl. X.R. 46-24 

